Improved skate-fastening



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Leners Patent No. 78,216, @aan May -se, .1868,

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' TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNr i f y Be it known that I, HALSEY B. L CAS,of Middletown, in 'the county of Middlesex, and Stafelof. Connecticut,have invented a new and-improved Skate-Fastening; and I do herebydeclare thatthe following isa full,`

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which i i lFigure 1 is a perspective view, showng a skate strapped to a boot withmy improved fastening.

Figure 2-is an enlarged top view ofthe fastening.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingfparts in .theseveral figures.

This invention relates to a newaud improved device which is particularly`adapted 'for fastening strapped i skates firmly to the feet, and whichis `so constructed that whilejt will aiford a leverage that willassistin tight;L

ening the skate-straps about the' feet,.it will also afford afirmly-holding self-locking fastening, and ashield ori?? guardforpprotecting the feet from being pinched or bruised. l

The nature of my invention consists lin combining, with a curved shield`or guard, a pivoted locking-lever and a retaining-loop, which areconstructed substantially as will behereinafter described.,V Y V Toenable others skilled in the a'rt tonderstand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and'operation.

I have represented in-th'e drawings, lig. 1,'my invention applied to a.skate, C, having wide heel and toe straps applied to itsJfoot-stand, andprovided with narrow, faslleningstrapsfinthe usualwell-known manner. Thenarrow toestraps E of the strips D, may be fastened by means of bucklesor clasps, of any suitable descrip tion, or, if desirable, my improvedself-locking leverfastenings may be applied to these toe-straps'. i

I have represented the improved fastening applied to the two narrowstraps B G of thc lleehpiece A, and will now proceedto describeitsvconstruction and operation.

I rst have a shield, a, which is made of a. widepiece of metal properlycurved, as shown in ig'.' 3so as to vacc orrmodate itself to the roundedsurface ofthe instep or upper part of the foot. Inv the middle of th'e`lengt-l1 of this shield a are two eye-pieces d, between which a curvedlocking-lever, c, is pivoted by fa. transverse pin,` e,

which lever is constructed-with a teat, g, upon'its lower curved edge,and at a suitable distanccfrom its pivoted end. This lever vihrates in adirection with the length of the guard or shield a, to whchitis pivoted,and it is designed to' serve as a self-locking lever, as will behereinafter shown.

The shield aihas an oblong slot, f, made through it, near one end,through which passes a strap, G, which strap is fastened to one of theflaps of theheel-piece A, and provided with a buckle,` H, by which thisstrap can be shortened or lengthened at pleasure. j To the opposite flapof the heel-piece A, a short strap, B, is permanently fastened, and tothis strap a metal loop, b, is secured in a suitable manner, as showninthe three figures of the drawings. This loop bis constructed withoneend somewhat contracted, and with a concave-seat, b', in this end forreciving the teat g, on the locking-lever c, as shownin the drawings,g.3.

The method of using the fastening is as follows: The shield a is drawnovrthe instep, and the lever c` thrown back, so as to receive the loopb. The teat g on said lever is adjusted inthe seat bf in the loop ,andthe leverforced down in place, as shown in g.3, during Vwhich operation,the straps B and Gr will lle-drawn tight, and the point of contact ofthe loop b with thelever c will be moved so far past the centre e, thatthe parts will be securely lccked in place, and cannot be detached untilsaid lever is-raised s uiciently to bring theteat gend;

its seat in the loop I: above the pivot of-lcver c. As this fastening isnot of itself adjustable, I employ, in conjunction with means of whichthe straps can be lengthened or shortened, as may be desir-ed. v t Bymeans of the above-described fastening, I overcome many of theobjections attending buckles and clasps hitherto used, and afforda'powerful leverage, by which the skatefstraps can bedrawn very tightupon the feet, in the act of fastening them and while this is the case,'Iprotect the feet from being cramped by the fastening, by using acurved shield between the fastening and the boot. l

it, the adjustingsstrap G,

This improved self-locking fastening'is nct only useful forskate-straps, but it can be used-for I llames, and other purposes. v Y pi Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The heel-strap buckle for a skate, shaped to conform 4to the curvoour instep of the foot, asshown at a a q, I

and constructed with the loop b and with a curved locking-lever c g,.all substantially in the manner and for the purpose described-, p v

2. The two curvei portions a c, constructed as described, in combinationwithvthe curve.- loop '6, havinga curved portion; b', and`with theadjusting-strap B, substantially'in the manner' described, and for theApurpose of facilitating the fastening of a skate upon the feet, as setforth.

3. A curved self-locking skate-buckle, such as described and shown, as anew article of manufacture.

HALSEY B. LUCAS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. BACON, CURTIss BACON.

